


Hornet's Nest

by chainsawdog



Series: Order Abandoned [21]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-06 20:00:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12217902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chainsawdog/pseuds/chainsawdog
Summary: The Galaxy suffers at the hands of war, but its people live on. Their lives are complicated, difficult, and currently overshadowed by death and destruction.Barriss begins to doubt the ways of the Jedi. Slick learns more about his Undercity contact. And Mina Bonteri continues her work towards bringing peace to the Galaxy.Around the time of the Citadel arc.





	1. Chapter 1

While Luminara Unduli debriefed the soldiers of the 41st battalion, her Padawan Barriss Offee meditated alone. They had fought in a campaign on Lothal, protecting the planet from Separatist forces.  
  
Barriss had killed a human Separatist soldier in front of children. She had saved their lives but they had seen the soldier die. One of the children had given Barriss a look of such fear that Barriss had nearly burst into tears there and then. The children had fled, and Barriss stood where she was, unable to move.  
  
A second later Commander Gree saved her from the approaching battle droids.  
  
She could not lose focus again.  
  
Barriss wasn’t sure why she was alive. She had come close to death after a mission on Geonosis. A parasite had invaded her brain and she’d been forced to use all her willpower to fight its control and beg for Ahsoka to kill her. Barriss had accepted her death, as a good Jedi should. Then, against all odds, Ahsoka Tano had found a way to save her and the remaining clones.  
  
Ahsoka Tano, Padawan to Anakin Skywalker, had saved her life. Ahsoka hadn’t given up on her, even though the odds were stacked so high against them that she risked her own life. Maybe there was something to her Master’s odd methods.  
  
All Barriss truly wanted was to help others. Now she was a soldier, and had ended the life of a man she didn’t know. What did that mean for her?  
  
Barriss knew she didn’t deserve to be alive.  
  
No, she couldn’t think like that. That wasn’t how a Jedi thought.  
  
How did a Jedi think, anyway? Barriss knew the Code, of course, and she knew what her Master had taught her. Yet she had noticed the other Jedi Masters seemed to have differing views regarding certain things. Some were closer to their clone troopers than others. Some were more emotional than others. Barriss wasn’t sure anymore what Jedi were supposed to be.  
  
They were almost all of them soldiers, now. Barriss had never wanted to be a soldier. She couldn’t abandon her duty, though. Being a Jedi – did that mean Barriss had to be a soldier? As long as she was Master Unduli’s Padawan, maybe that was the case.  
  
Barriss didn’t want to question it. It led her down a pathway of thinking that she didn’t want to consider. She couldn’t abandon the Jedi. They were all she had.  
  
_The Jedi need to change_ , her traitorous thoughts whispered. _The Jedi are stuck in their ways._  
  
Barriss sighed, and got to her feet. Meditation was difficult these days.


	2. Chapter 2

Slick was getting better at pretending to be drunk. For the first few nights he’d simply watched other patrons of Club Kasakar, learning. Now he chatted to people every now and then, taking note of the regulars. There were so many Senators who came night after night, that he was surprised the Republic hadn’t collapsed already.  
  
Slick wasn’t making any attempts to hide his face. There didn't seem to be any reason to. The more people who knew he wasn't Amidala's perfect bodyguard, the better for their investigation.  
  
He’d seen Senka, the Twi’lek he informed to, a few times, but she’d never approached him. She probably didn’t want to publically connect herself with the bodyguard of Senator Amidala.  
  
“This is a strange place for Amidala’s bodyguard,” a Chiss approached Slick, offering him a drink. Slick hadn’t seen many Chiss around. Their blue skin and red eyes stood out from a crowd.  
  
Slick shook his head. “I don’t take drinks from strangers,” he said.  
  
The Chiss smiled, blue lips curling like a cat. “I don’t have to be a stranger,” they said.  
  
“How do you know who I am, then?” Slick asked.  
  
“We all know your face,” the Chiss said, leaning back in their chair. “Senator Amidala probably wouldn’t be happy you were here.”  
  
“She doesn’t care what I do in my free time, as long as I do my job,” said Slick. “What do you want?”  
  
Before the Chiss could answer, Slick excused himself, leaving them at the bar. Mas Amedda, the Vice Chair of the Galactic Senate had walked through the Club. Slick had a feeling that this was the same Chagrian that Skywalker had seen, going into a back room.  
  
Slick followed Mas through the club, keeping a fair distance so as not to arouse suspicion. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand grabbed his shoulder.  
  
It took all his willpower not react aggressively. Instead, he turned slowly, and saw Senka. Her eyes were wide, and he could have sworn she was afraid. She shook her head.  
  
“You’re about to make the biggest mistake of your life, Kahu,” she said.  
  
“I was looking for the bathroom,” said Slick. He hoped that his slurred words would convince her that he was drunk, and harmless.  
  
“You were following that Chagrian,” Senka replied, her tone harsh. “You’ll go into that back room, Kahu, but you won’t ever come back out.”  
  
“What are you talking about?”  
  
“I got… curious a few months ago,” said Senka. “I sent someone to spy for me. I’ve never seen them since.”  
  
“Who else is in there?”  
  
“I don’t know!” Senka snapped. She looked around. They hadn’t drawn any attention to themselves. “Come on,” she said. “Dance with me.”  
  
Slick hesitated, then shrugged. “Okay,” he said, and followed her to the dance floor.  
  
The music was louder here, but Senka held Slick close so she could speak into his ear. He had to admit he was impressed. There was no chance anyone else could overhear their conversation.  
  
“I report directly to someone who reports to someone high up in the Senate,” she said. “Over the last few months I’ve started to suspect that my information is going to the Chancellor’s office. I don’t know if it goes to him or to his lackeys but… I’m sure people have lost their jobs or died because of my information.”  
  
“So why don’t you quit?” Slick asked wryly.  
  
“Don’t be stupid,” she replied. “You know I’d wind up dead in some slum in the Undercity, if I was lucky.”  
  
“Why are you telling me?”  
  
“You aren’t convincing, Kahu. You haven’t betrayed Amidala, an idiot could see that. The information you’re giving me is utter Bantha fodder and we both know it. So maybe you’re the only person on Coruscant who can help me.”  
  
“Tell me everything,” said Slick.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a slow and dangerous process, trying to rally Separatists to her cause. Mina had almost died several times, and was terrified for her son’s safety. Mina had done what she could, reaching out to Senators she knew she could trust. She had not approached Dooku. Mina could not explain her reasoning, but Dooku frightened her. Maybe it was the fact he was a former Jedi, and now the Jedi were the enemies of the Separatists. Maybe.  
  
Mina had found safe haven on Naboo, but still lived in fear. Until the war was over she would live in fear. There was no way that she would be truly safe until the war ended. While she did not believe in the Republic’s ways she knew that negotiations would be beneficial to both sides of the war. Surely talking things through was better than constant war and death.  
  
So far Mina had rallied the Senators By Bluss, Amita Fonti, and Kerch Kushi. The three Senators who had supported her push for peace negotiations in the Senate. They were working to convince the others to support her, but it was taking time. If any of them openly stated their position Mina was sure their lives would be put in great danger. She had encouraged them to use their wits and diplomacy, and not to mention her name unless it was absolutely necessary.  
  
No one knew where she was except for the people who had granted her sanctuary. She was desperate to go home to Onderon, but it was impossible.  
  
Mina jumped as she heard a noise somewhere in the house. She got to her feet, hand on the blaster she now kept by her side at all times. It was just Lux. She sighed with relief.  
  
“Oh Lux, you scared me,” she said. “Where have you been?”  
  
“I went to the library, Mother,” said Lux. He accepted the hug that she pulled him into, holding her for a moment. “This palace is incredible. They have books on everything!”  
  
“Yes,” said Mina. “You were careful?”  
  
“Of course,” said Lux. “I always am.”  
  
“I can’t lose you.”  
  
“I know, Mother,” said Lux. “You know, they have volumes about the Palpatine family in the palace? A whole history of the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, all here in books. Bound print, Mother, not data-tapes or flimsiplast.”  
  
“That’s interesting,” said Mina. “But Lux, you know the Chancellor was born here. His family was quite important to Naboo, so it’s not surprising their history would be recorded here.”  
  
Lux pulled a face, and said, “I think I’d like to read up on him. Maybe learning about him will explain something about the Republic.”  
  
“Maybe,” Mina said. She was finding it difficult to encourage him. It seemed far-fetched that a history of House Palpatine would hold any significance to their current plight. “Well, I hope you learn something Lux. It would be a shame to spend all your time reading something boring.”  
  
Lux laughed. “I have to keep myself occupied somehow,” he said. “If I find anything interesting I’ll let you know.”


End file.
